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Join Talbot professor Dr. John Bloom for an engaging look at how recent finds in the field are shaping our understanding of the biblical world. This session explores whether the events of the Bible hold up under archaeological scrutiny and examines the fascinating trends emerging from the latest excavations.

About the Breakout Speaker: John A. Bloom earned a Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University, then went to seminary and completed a second Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern studies (Old Testament backgrounds) so that he would have advanced formal training in both science and theology. For over 30 years he taught physics at 91��Ƭ�� University. He also started the M.A. in Science and Religion program at 91��Ƭ�� Talbot School of Theology in 2004, in collaboration with the Christian Apologetics program, and continues actively teaching in these MA programs. Dr. Bloom enjoys teaching courses that integrate Christianity and science because of the importance of these topics both in today culture and to other scientists. He enjoys archaeology in particular because of the ‘hands on’ evidence it provides supporting biblical history.

Everybody in ministry eventually learns that the work itself threatens to block us from vital communion with God. The pace, the pressure, the demands and the details throw us into a dangerously distant orbit from the God we serve. This breakout shows how a practical, applied theology of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is an empowering resource for Christian service.

About the Breakout Speaker: Fred Sanders is a theologian who studies and teaches across the full range of Christian doctrines, but always with a special focus on the doctrine of the Trinity. Since 1999, Fred has taught in the Torrey Honors College, an undergraduate program in the great books, at 91��Ƭ�� University. 

Fred studied art (drawing and printmaking) in college, earned an M.Div. at Asbury Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. He and his wife Susan (who have been friends since they met at age 11) are members of Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada, CA. They have two adult children.

Fred has written several books and articles; his most important are The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything (Crossway, 2010); The Triune God (Zondervan, 2016); and Fountain of Salvation: Trinity and Soteriology (Eerdmans, 2021).

In "Faithful But Tired: Meeting God in the Truth of Your Life," professors from the Institute for Spiritual Formation will help you understand how the Lord works to mature you in faith. Come and learn about how God grows you ever-increasingly into the likeness of Jesus, and what it is like to walk with the Spirit in every season of your soul.

**Attendees who attend all 4 of the “Faithful But Tired” Breakout Sessions will receive complimentary access to The Journey. Must attend all 4 to receive access.

About the Breakout Speaker: Kyle Strobel is the director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation, and the author of Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards, and co-authored the books Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul, and most recently, When God Seems Distant: Surprising Ways God Deepens Our Faith and Draws Us Near.

Ministry leaders care for people. That's why we are in ministry. But people sometimes tire us out, especially when we are performance driven or still caught in the unhealthy need to earn recognition. When we understand our biblical identity in Christ, we can rest in the completed work of Jesus; and minister from a place of confidence and freedom. This session will emphasize the book by Drs. JP Foster and Matt Williams.

About the Breakout Speaker: Matthew Williams is professor of New Testament and director of the Accelerated Masters Programs at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, where he has taught since 2002. Prior to that, he taught as a missionary in Spain from 1996-2002. Williams was awarded professor of the year by Biola University, and continues to preach and teach in various churches and conferences throughout the United States and Spain. He has published Finding Freedom in Jesus: the 21 attributes of your identity in Christ with Dr. JP Foster, and What the New Testament Authors Really Cared About with Kenneth Berding, along with video Bible studies: Gospel of John: Finding Identity and Purpose, The Parables of Jesus, The Forgiveness of Jesus, The Life of Jesus, The Last Days of Jesus, The Prayers of Jesus, The Miracles of Jesus. He is also the general editor for Spanish biblical and theological books, which have sold nearly 200,000 copies: Comentarios Bíblicos con Aplicación: Serie NVI, Biblioteca Teológica Vida, and Colección Teológica Contemporánea.

Today church is more generationally diverse than ever. This session explores how technology, mental wellness, social change, and economic uncertainty have shaped Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and the emerging Gen Alpha. Participants will leave with practical leadership strategies to build trust, motivation and engagement across generations.

About the Breakout Speaker: Dr. Jake Aguas is an Associate Professor at 91��Ƭ�� University and a leadership consultant with 15 years of HR experience at JPMorgan Chase. An expert in generational dynamics and emotional intelligence, he has authored three books and trained organizations like In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A. He specializes in improving organizational performance through international consulting and research featured in outlets like The Washington Post.

Jesus and his message matter to us! This session will help us focus on the intended message of scenes in the gospels. We will introduce hermeneutical principles for uncovering the meaning of stories and teachings in the gospels, and learn three key questions to help direct our reading of the gospels.

About the Breakout Speaker: Gary Manning is Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. His research and teaching focuses on the Gospels, Greek and the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.

In "Faithful But Tired: Meeting God in the Truth of Your Life," professors from the Institute for Spiritual Formation will help you understand how the Lord works to mature you in faith. Come and learn about how God grows you ever-increasingly into the likeness of Jesus, and what it is like to walk with the Spirit in every season of your soul.

**Attendees who attend all four of the “Faithful But Tired” Breakout Sessions will receive complimentary access to The Journey. Must attend all four to receive access.

About the Breakout Speaker: Dave Merrill, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Spiritual Theology and Formation at Talbot School of Theology. He also serves on staff as the Elder of Pastoral ministry at Redeemer Church, La Mirada. Dave teaches and writes broadly in the area of spiritual formation, the history of Christian soul care, biblical interpretation, and the integration of psychology and theology. He also serves the broader church by offering seminars on spiritual formation to church leadership and congregations. Dave is a retreat speaker and guide, as well as a practicing spiritual director. Dave lives a 20 minute walk from Biola's Campus with his wife Amy and four children.

What defines us as what kind of thing we are? Do our chosen “identities” make us into what we are? Or does something deeper define us? This session will try to clarify how our self-conceptions affect us, but also show that they do not define what we are, for that comes from our nature as image bearers.

About the Breakout Speaker: R. Scott Smith, Ph.D., is professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, where he has taught for 26 years. One of his specialties is how we can have moral knowledge in a time of great confusion. He is the author of In Search of Moral Knowledge: Overcoming the Fact-Value Dichotomy (InterVarsity).

There are a bewildering array of commentaries on the market written at a variety of different levels. How do you choose the best ones for preparing a Bible study or a message and how can you use them most effectively? This session will be immensely practical in helping you streamline and enrich your preparation.

About the Breakout Speaker: Clinton E. Arnold is Research Professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He earned his Ph.D. at Aberdeen University in Scotland (1986). He served as the Dean of Talbot for 10 years (2012-2022) and is the past President of the Evangelical Theological Society (2011). Clint is the editor of the 20-volume Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament for which he wrote the volume on Ephesians. He has recently published a commentary on Colossians for the Word Biblical Commentary series. He is also the author of 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare (Baker) and Powers of Darkness (Intervarsity Press). Clint serves as a preaching/teaching pastor at Church Project Orange County (in southern California). He is married to his wife, Barbara, and they have three adult sons and three grandchildren.

In "Faithful But Tired: Meeting God in the Truth of Your Life," professors from the Institute for Spiritual Formation will help you understand how the Lord works to mature you in faith. Come and learn about how God grows you ever-increasingly into the likeness of Jesus, and what it is like to walk with the Spirit in every season of your soul.

**Attendees who attend all 4 of the “Faithful But Tired” Breakout Sessions will receive complimentary access to The Journey. Must attend all 4 to receive access.

About the Breakout Speaker: Berry Bishop, Psy.D., is the Associate Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation. She is a spiritual director as well as a licensed psychologist in California.

Nietzsche has famously quipped: “What is now decisive against Christianity is our taste, not our reason.” The most powerful objection to the Gospel no longer has to do with whether Christianity is true. The objection is that Christianity is bad, distasteful. Christianity has nothing good to offer to a thinking, caring human being. In this seminar, we shall investigate this objection and develop some ways to respond.

About the Breakout Speaker: Greg Ganssle (Ph.D. Syracuse) is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. He works in philosophy of religion, philosophical theology and the philosophy of Nietzsche. He has written or edited six books and has published over thirty-five papers and chapters.

Church is no longer obvious. With the hypocrisy of moral failures, the complications of polarized politics, and the pressures of life in general, many people are opting out of church. But what are we missing when we do? Dr. Imes offers a fresh vision for what the church is and can become.

About the Breakout Speaker: Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is an associate professor of Old Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in Southern California. She is the author of Bearing God Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and Becoming God Family: Why the Church Still Matters. Her primary areas of expertise are Exodus and the Psalms. Carmen releases weekly videos on her and you can find her writing on various websites, including and . Carmen has appeared on over 200 podcasts and radio outlets. She enjoys traveling to speak at churches, schools, conferences and retreats. Carmen is passionate about equipping the church to engage the Old Testament well and to see its relevance for the Christian life. She is a fellow of Every Voice.

Clear communication rarely happens by accident. It takes work. Work before you start writing (intentional thinking), work while you write (gritty preparation) and work while you deliver (creative redundancy). This session explores how preachers and teachers can sharpen the focus of their message by working hard to clarify what central, remove what not and ensure that each part is aligned.

About the Breakout Speaker: Brandon Cash is chair of the Christian Ministry and Leadership Department at Talbot, and Associate Professor of Preaching. In addition to “professoring,” Brandon has been serving as a pastor at Oceanside Christian Fellowship since 1998 and chaplain for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2010. With almost 30 years’ experience as a preacher and teacher (in a variety of contexts), and more than a decade as a preaching professor, Brandon has lots of thoughts on what separates the wheat from the chaff when it comes to effectively communicating God Word. He thinks some of them are worth passing along to others who are interested in preaching and teaching.

Our triune God is a person to love, not a book to study, principles to believe or a confessional statement to affirm. We do practical theology when we think about our God, connect with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and align our lives to God ways. For this reason, theological education is the communal process of falling in love with our Creator.

About the Breakout Speaker: is a professor of Christian higher education in the Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs in educational studies at the Talbot School of Theology at 91��Ƭ�� University. He graduated from the University of Guadalajara, Dallas Theological Seminary, and the University of North Texas, where he earned a Ph.D. in higher education. Dr. Esqueda has several publications on theological education, Christian higher education, and literature, including the coauthored books Anointed Teaching: Partnership with the Holy Spirit, The Cruciform Faculty: The Making of a Christian Professor, and The Hispanic Faculty Experience: Opportunities for Growth and Retention in Christian Higher Education. He is an academic leader and practical theologian with extensive worldwide experience, and an avid soccer fan.

In the rapidly shifting sands of the 21st-century West, many Christian leaders are looking for fresh technologies and novel models to meet the challenges and opportunities of our modern moment. Instead of looking for new approaches, this session invites us to consider those ancient strategies lived out by our first-, second-, and third-century ancestors in the faith as they patiently thrived and exponentially grew in the unfriendly cultural soil of the Roman Mediterranean.

About the Breakout Speaker: Dr. James Petitfils is an Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at 91��Ƭ�� University. He researches and publishes on a variety of subjects including storytelling in the Roman world, ancient Christian martyr texts, and leadership in Mediterranean antiquity. Along with research and teaching, he has been a pastor in the South Bay for over 25 years, currently serving as the Beach Pastor at the River Church of the South Bay. He been married to his love and partner in ministry, Braelyn, for over 21 years and together they have a beautiful daughter, Micelli, and three beach boys, Brixton, Zion and Tiger. They are also foster parents and have fostered five cute-as-can-be little angels over the last few years. James enjoys surfing, family beach days and burritos.

In "Faithful But Tired: Meeting God in the Truth of Your Life," professors from the Institute for Spiritual Formation will help you understand how the Lord works to mature you in faith. Come and learn about how God grows you ever-increasingly into the likeness of Jesus, and what it is like to walk with the Spirit in every season of your soul.

**Attendees who attend all four of the “Faithful But Tired” Breakout Sessions will receive complimentary access to The Journey. Must attend all four to receive access.

About the Breakout Speaker: Kyle Strobel is the director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation, and the author of Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards, and co-authored the books Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul, and most recently, When God Seems Distant: Surprising Ways God Deepens Our Faith and Draws Us Near.

This talk will demonstrate that faith and reason are not opposed to each other contrary to the popular opinion that attempts to pit them against each other. The unity of faith and reason is grounded in the scriptural truths which lay a ground for a proper expression of loving God with our mind.

About the Breakout Speaker: Mihretu P. Guta is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Apologetic at 91��Ƭ�� University. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Durham University (UK) under the supervision of Professor E.J. Lowe and Professor Sophie Gibb. He subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow within the Durham Emergence Project (funded by the John Templeton Foundation). He specialized in metaphysics, philosophy of mind and the philosophy of neuroscience, with special emphasis on the emergence of consciousness and its relation to the brain. His other research interests include philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, science and religion and the philosophy of physics. His published works include: Consciousness and the Ontology of Properties, ed., (2019 Routledge); Selfhood, Autism and Thought Insertion, edited with Sophie Gibb (2021 Imprint Academic, UK); a special issue on “E. J. Lowe Metaphysics and Analytic Theology” co-edited with Eric LaRock (2021, TheoLogica); and Taking Persons Seriously: Where Philosophy and Bioethics Intersect (with Scott Rae, 2024). Consciousness, Unconsciousness and AI, with Eric LaRock (Wiley, forthcoming). Metaphysics and Philosophical Theology (Routledge, forthcoming). He is completing a single written research monograph entitled: The Metaphysics of Substance and Personhood: A Non-Theory Laden Approach.

What is the role of the Christian faith in our ordinary, everyday lives? If faith in Christ need not make us healthy and happy and rich but also isn't merely about where we go when we die, then what is our faith for? These are obvious questions, but ones we struggle to answer with any clarity. We will seek answers by exploring the connection between faith and hope, and by considering how hope shapes our ordinary lives and our ordinary ministries. This will lead us to a surprising truth: our hope will–indeed it must–come to an end.

About the Breakout Speaker: Dr. Tim Pickavance is Professor of Philosophy and Academic Dean at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, as well as Scholar in Residence and a Ruling Elder at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, CA. His most recent book is Knowledge for the Love of God: Why Your Heart Needs Your Mind, and he writes regularly on his Substack, Becoming Human.